For years, planning a larger equipment purchase came with a nagging side question: will the $20,000 instant asset write-off still be there by the time we buy? The threshold was set one year at a time, often confirmed close to the deadline, which made it hard to plan with any real certainty. That part is now settled. In August 2026, Parliament passed legislation making the $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent for small businesses from 1 July 2026. Here's what that changes

When the card surcharge ban was announced, we wrote about what it would mean for businesses. It's now close enough to be worth a second look. From 1 October 2026, surcharges on most card payments end, and that's roughly two months away. If you currently add a card fee at the checkout, this is a good time to have your plan in place rather than sorting it out in the last week of September. A quick refresher on what's changing From 1 October 2026, you won't be able to add a surc

Most small business owners have heard the term. Very few have thought much about it. It sounds like an accounting technicality. Something that gets set up once when you start using Xero or MYOB, and then quietly sits there in the background doing whatever it does. Here is the thing though. Your chart of accounts is not a background detail. It is the structure that determines whether your financial reports tell you anything useful or just confirm that money came in and money w